A Weekend to Remember
by Cater
Summary: Fourteen students, all stuck at boarding school and trying to fill a weekend with nothing but each other for amusement. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Devious Scheming

**Since its glorious release last Thursday, I've been watching all the Type-0 cutscenes and have even been lucky enough to view both the normal and alternate ending – needless to say, it's just kindled the flame of love I have for Class Zero. Hence, I dedicated this story to them and their weekend antics. Being stuck at boarding school must suck during Saturdays and Sundays, non? I'm hoping to add at least several more chapters to this, during which all of the students will make an appearance. This chapter belongs to Ace, Deuce, Jack and Machina however. Enjoy!**

**xXx**

Like your average teenager, the students of the elite Class Zero very often found themselves experiencing the state of mind which commonly sends one into a borderline state of insanity.

Otherwise known, as _boredom_.

Hence the reason for the small group of students, gathered in the sanctuary of their common room one wet, bleak Saturday morning. The Peristylium Suzaku did little to occupy Class Zero's energetic minds at the weekends, so they often resorted to pointless banter and the occasional argument (in Queen's case, a creative discussion) to keep themselves amused.

"I'm telling you, King isn't scared of anything! The guy's a walking hulk of muscle! Even the lecturers watch what they say around him," Jack proclaimed dramatically, tossing his empty drinks bottle over his shoulder in the general direction of the bin. However his aim was off and the steel can missed its target completely, instead hitting Machina over the head with a _'tink'._

"Oops. Sorry Machina, wouldn't want to spill that over you know, would we? I know it'd be just **hell** for your hair," Jack snickered and ran a hand through his own mess of blond hair, puffing out proudly when his insult hit home.

Ace sighed; absently shuffling his prized deck of cards in his hands as Machina snatched the can off the floor and slammed it into Jack's own head. He, along with Jack, Deuce and Machina had gotten into the discussion of fears since Halloween was looming. Sice was also present in the common room, sprawled out on one of the couches, her interest occupied by a book of some sort. The others didn't question her choice of reading material; mostly through fear of being decapitated for _'poking their noses where they had no place'._

Number Six occasionally emitted the odd snicker or giggle - obviously said reading material involved death, gore, or even better - both.

However, despite Sice's gruesome novel preferences, even she was intimidated by something. And that something happened to be the one sole thing the entire class had in common, other than an irrepressible hunger for justice and hatred for Mondays.

They were all intimidatedby King.

Oh yes sir.

King. Number XIII. The only member of Class Zero who had the ability to make the transition from calm and stoic to batshit crazy in 0.629443 seconds.

Scientifically proven and verified by Kurasame, of course.

King wasn't highly respected by all his classmates for no reason. Everyone behaved in his presence, through fear of having a bullet put through their skull.

Anyone sparking King's ire had a deathwish... and no-one knew that more than Eight.

King sadly, didn't take well to being the butt of a truth or dare joke.

As such, Number Eight had been relentlessly chased around the Academy, locked in the girl's dormitory, hit, kicked, used for target practice... and one time, after singing a particularly cheery version of _'Hakuna Matata' _at the socially unacceptable hour of five in the morning_,_ King had taken punishment to a whole new extreme and hung Eight off the statue in the schools courtyard by his cape, which had inevitably torn.

Seven had snapped a rather embarrassing Polaroid for a 'keepsake'... and for **golden** blackmail material. 'Twas why Eight always offered to do Seven's laundry.

"10,000 gil says that King does possess the ability to scream in fear."

Ace scoffed, "Machina, have you been drinking too much fruit juice?"

Machina gave his classmate a deadpan glare before shaking his head.

"Milk? Water from the roof?" More head shaking.

Jack scratched the back of his neck in thought, frowning thoughtfully for a moment before a smirk twisted the corners of his mouth, "You know buddy, I just might take you up on that bet..."

Deuce snorted and made a rather strange spluttering sound before she began choking violently on her drink.

_**"What?" **_She gasped, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as Sice smacked her on the back a couple of times.

Ace's jaw went slack

"You heard me. 10,000 gil is certainly worth my time, I'd think it would be worth yours too Ace... even yours Deuce."

"Jack, you must have a screw or six loose," Ace admonished, shaking his head, "No-one with half a brain cell would even _attempt_ to terrify King."

Deuce nodded in eager agreement. Number Two valued her existence as much as the next person, but apparently her fellow classmates didn't, much to her confusion.

"Well, Ace..." Jack mused, slouching back and making a scene of looking out the rain-splattered windows, "If you're not _man_ enough..."

"Hey, hold on a second! I never said I wouldn't do it!" Ace almost jumped out of his seat in protest, "If I'm not man enough, then I don't know she is," He jerked his head in Deuce's direction, "She's about as manly as a pink squirrel."

Deuce nodded in earnest agreement, before the insult hit home.

"Hey!"

Machina meanwhile, was too occupied with grinding his molars in impatience. His classmate's hesitance irritated him. This pointless dwindling would have to be dispensed with if they were to walk face-first into a war together.

'_Just accept the damn bet already!' _

"So, you'll do it?" Jack challenged; quirking an eyebrow skeptically.

There was no hiding the deadly smirk that pulled at the corners of Machina's mouth.

Jack's poker face didn't help either.

Ace's blue orbs flitted from Jack to Machina... then to Deuce who was sitting behind them, frantically waving her arms and mouthing 'No! No! No!' repeatedly.

Number One consulted his thoughts. His pride was on the line here, which was a huge risk with him being the head of the class. But then again, if he accepted... his life could be too.

What could be the worst possible result?

_"... Your fellow comrade and classmate would rip out your internal organs, wrap them around your neck and suffocate you with them without so much as twitching…and then he'd do the Macerena on your grave."_

"Alright Ace, we're willing to make you a deal. Since you're so obviously petrified of doing this alone... myself and Machina will versus you and Deuce. 5,000 munny each, sound fair?"

Ace and Deuce exchanged blank looks, before simultaneously responding:

"Deal."

"No deal."

Ace spun round to face Deuce, who was already backing frantically towards the door.

"No way. You're not going to persuade me Ace, it's too dangerous! Not to mention downright disrespectful to a fellow classmate."

Ace hurried over to his retreating comrade, her words of wisdom barely registering in his frazzled brain as he seized her by the shoulders.

"Come on Deuce, do you really think Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are going to squeeze a scream out of King?" He argued.

"I heard that!" Machina snapped, emerald eyes flashing in warning.

Ace waved him away with an irritable flick of his hand, "Deuce, think what you could do with 5,000 gil."

Deuce frowned, "I won't need 5,000 gil if I'm dead, Ace. I'm not doing it."

Ace sighed in anticipated defeat. Deuce was a tough nut to crack; her stubbornness usually saw her through most verbal conflicts. However, Ace wasn't the leader of Operation Apostle for nothing. And the smug look making itself at home on Machina's face was enough to make him abandon all sense and act purely out of spite.

No. Never let the enemy eliminate the element of practicality.

"Okay, okay! Deuce, if you do this ... I'll do all your homework for the next semester, how does that sound?" Ace asked through gritted teeth, swallowing his screams of protest and mentally kicking himself for the bounty he'd just offered. Desperation was a bitch.

'_So much for practicality.'_

But there was no way Deuce could possibly turn down such an offer. She was stubborn as a mule, and occasionally bore the nickname 'Dense Deuce', but in reality, she was far from stupid.

And, much to Ace's obvious delight, his bargain worked.

"Okay... I'll do it," Deuce agreed hesitantly, fiddling nervously with her hair.

Ace let out a puff of relief, rewarding his classmate with one of his rare smiles, "Thanks Deuce, I knew you'd come round eventually."

"Excellent!" Jack enthused, leaping up from his chair with an air of finality, "The deadline is Halloween. Rather befitting, wouldn't you say? Losers have to pay up within 24 hours, and late transactions will have humiliating consequences. Everyone in?"

Deuce groaned, burying her head in her hands, '_I'd rather do homework!'_

"Halloween it is," Ace agreed, holding out his hand to his newfound rival. Jack's grin could have rivaled that of the sun as he extended his hand and shook.

**xXx**

**What do you think Ace and Deuce's first move should be? Leave a review and let me know! It might just be the star of the next chapter…**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Final Fantasy Type-0, or any of the mentioned characters. If I did, Class Zero wouldn't die and Sice and Ace would be the ultimate stars of the game.**


	2. Arachnid Fiasco

Apologies for the delay – I got a new laptop for Christmas and the internet is mega temperamental, meaning that it logs me off at the most inconvenient times and thus, prevents me from uploading mah work! Thanks for all your reviews for the previous chapter by the way! I tried to make this one as Ace/Deuce-centric as possible, but had to include all the others for fairness purposes xD. Those who didn't see much light in this chapter will probably be the central figures for the next one, but the primary stars of this one are once again Ace, Deuce, Jack, and Machina, with Sice this time. Enjoy! xXx Unbeknownst to anyone outside The Rubrum Peristylium Suzaku, Class Zero actually had a schedule; a daily routine if you will.

They arose in the early hours of the morning, ate breakfast, participated in their appointed lessons and missions (if any) for the day, showered, did homework and ate dinner... leaving them normally with around 3 hours before curfew - courtesy of Kurasame, of course.

If one looked closely enough, Class Zero was like one big, if somewhat dysfunctional family.

And like every family, disputes among members were not uncommon, and it was the sheer rivalry between Machina and Ace that had Number One's head in a complete mess...

"Oh holy chocobo butts... I can't believe you talked me into this!" Deuce groaned, her forehead getting well acquainted with the palm of her hand as Ace drummed his fingers on the table in frustration.

"_You_ got you into this. You accepted the bargain and shook hands on it, so don't try and blame me."

Deuce responded with the trump card of all responses and stuck out her tongue – Ace rolled his eyes at his classmate's display of immaturity.

Ace -1

Deuce - 0

The two were sat at the table closest to the window in the school's cafeteria, grumpily awaiting the arrival of their fellow classmates. Ace had insisted on going down to dinner an hour early to get a head start with a little scheming, but in a whole sixty minutes, both him and Deuce had only managed to agree on one thing:

They were completely and utterly stumped for ideas.

"While we're sat here doing nothing, _those_ two will be getting a head start..."

The pair's heads both shot up at the sound of a door opening – and snickering.

"Wow, speak of the devil..."

Machina and Jack both sauntered into the cafeteria, taking their seats beside their classmates.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Nemo and Dory..." Ace sniped, causing a giggle to erupt from Deuce at his befitting choice of nicknames.

Machina didn't rise to the bait, opting instead to give Ace a taste of his own medicine, propping his elbows on the table and resting his head on laced fingers for effect.

"Looks like you two have made progress..."

Machina's downright cocky smirk was back again. Damned smartass acted as if he was some sort of divine being.

_Jerk._

Ace merely returned said smirk, "Yeah, we have actually, we've - Deuce! What the _hell_ are you doing?"

Number Two had scooted up a couple of chairs to sit beside Jack, the pair enjoying a civilized conversation - something neither Machina nor a competitive Ace were gifted in.

"Sorry?"

"You're associating with the enemy!"

Jack snorted, "You're taking this a little too far Ace..."

Ace's fists hit the table with a thud, "You're just buttering up Dense Deuce over there in case she reveals something useful! You think that I don't know, that you know what I know! But I do know Jack. I _always_ know_..._"

Machina looked to Jack. Jack looked to Deuce... who in turn looked at Ace.

"_What_?"

"Augh! Just forget it, you chocobo headed imbeciles!"

Machina snickered, "Deuce, your comrade here is just worried about losing 5,000 gil to someone who's capable of outsmarting him," Emerald eyes locked onto the practically simmering Ace, "He's _obviously_ afraid of losing..."

Ace snorted, "Says the one who's terrified of war."

Jack watched with widened eyes as the argument escalated, grateful that he was sat on the opposing side of the table.

"Shouldn't we do something?" He asked, nudging Deuce in the ribs.

Number Two chanced a quick glance at her bickering classmates, briefly raising her head from the table.

Ace and Machina were practically nose to nose, curse words and threats being thrown about in a frenzy of competition for who had the last word. Weighing up the odds, Deuce came to a quick conclusion:

"Nope."

A thump as Number Two's head got itself reacquainted with the tabletop.

The argument only increased in volume as more members of Class Zero filed in and sat down.

The vast majority had gotten used to Ace and Machina's occasional squabbling, choosing to indulge in their own conversations to drown out the shouting and swearing.

Poor Cinque sat with her head in her hands, willing the arguing to stop. She _hated_ it when her friends argued – weren't they supposed to be a team? They could die any day, so wasn't it much more practical to just bumble along and be friendly?

Sice giggled, nudging Seven in the side as she watched Ace and Machina in amusement, "You'd think they were an old married couple."

The two boys immediately ceased their arguing, shooting poisonous glares at Number Six's intrusion.

"You bit- mmph!"

Machina was about to retort - a good retort at that, before a hand was swiftly slapped across his mouth.

He only had to look at the door to get his answer.

_King._

And to make matters worse, he was _frowning_.

The room went so quiet that the only audible noises where those of the groups breathing – and even that they tried in vain to make as quiet as possible. No one dared to utter a word with King present - especially if it looked like he _just_ might be in a bad mood.

Deciding now wasn't the time for smart remarks, Machina quickly swallowed the insult on the tip of his tongue, prompting Ace to remove his hand from his mouth.

Sice tittered behind her hand, "Aww look Machina, he really does care about you. Isn't that _sweet_?"

Machina threw the silver haired girl a dirty look in retort, itching to get out his rapiers, while Ace flicked his saliva-smothered hand in mild disgust.

"You didn't have to drool all over it, Machina..."

Sice laughed even louder this time. However, why Machina and Jack looked so smug as the meals were being handed out, neither Ace nor Deuce could determine. Machina always looked smug, but still... something was off.

Machina's green eyes were fixed upon King's plate... as were Jack's actually.

Ace frowned.

_'What are you... oh hell no.'_

Realization dawned on the leader of Class Zero like a rising sun.

'_THEY TAMPERED WITH KING'S FOOD?'_

Ace's blue eyes flew to Machina, the other boy confirming his thoughts with a smirk and a nod of the head towards King's plate.

_'WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?'_

Ace had great difficulty refraining from slapping his forehead, eyes now eagerly awaiting the food-related fiasco that was about to ensue. Machina too was displaying an obvious show of eagerness, leaning as far over Jack he could to get a good view of his anticipated prank. Queen frowned in suspicion at her classmate's antics, chalking their unusual behavior up to either being severely drunk, or slightly stoned.

The staring eyes didn't go unnoticed by King, however, who quirked a brow at his leaning comrades - Machina damn near falling off his chair with anticipation.

Since Jack was the closest, he was the one to be confronted.

"_Not hungry, Jack_?"

The blond visibly gulped. It finally hit home that he'd been staring perhaps a little _too_ much.

Taking the hint, Jack swiftly turned his attention elsewhere, keeping a discreet yet casual eye on King's plate.

Machina remained where he was. Jack was a suitable shield from King, and he was not afraid to use him, teammates or not.

King and Seven, the last two, finally received their dishes...which turned out to be two completely normal, delicious looking chocobo steaks.

"..."

_**Now**_ Machina fell off his chair, Jack giving him an unsure glance as their target's plate was completely void of any impurities.

Ace snickered while Sice's own laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Not looking too valiant down there, dear!"

Machina quickly arose, clearing his throat and seating himself in a proper manner to salvage whatever dignity he had left.

"Is everything alright, Machina?" Seven questioned from the middle of the table, her silver eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Fine, just fine thank you," Machina curtly answered, flashing the silver haired girl an unconvincing smile before whirling on Jack.

"Jack!" he hissed through gritted teeth, "What happened to the -"

**"SPIDER!"**

Machina got his answer as a shriek resounded from Queen's end of the table... from none other than his dearly beloved childhood companion.

Rem sprang up from her chair, stabbing a finger at the offending tarantula that was currently crawling around her dinner. Cinque also screamed, knocking over her drink...which went all over Nine.

Cater, on the other hand, couldn't believe her luck. An opportunity like this barely ever came around!

"Don't worry guys! I got it!"

Summoning her trusty Magic Gun, Number Four leaped to stand atop her chair, taking aim at the spider.

Machina's head hit the table with a dull _thunk._

_'Bugger it all...'_

Sice, meanwhile, was having the time of her _life_.

The silver haired girl was literally crying with laughter, her fists thumping against the table as she struggled to breathe. Number Six was positively hysterical. Living with a bunch of losers was a pain in the ass for sure, but _damn_ it was worth it for moments like this.

Sice's laughter only got louder as Cater ran down the table after the escaping spider, food items flying here, there and everywhere. She eventually gave up all hope and slumped onto the floor, clutching her sides and giggling helplessly as Cater kicked a bowl of mashed potato out of her way, sending it hurtling through the air until it collided with Trey's face with a resounding _splat._

"Dammit! Guys... I lost it!"

Ace tried.

Oh how he tried to resist.

The temptation was just too great.

'_To hell with it... you only live once.'_

"Cater!" The blond yelled, "It's on Machina's head!"

"Gotcha!"

Ace smirked, '_Payback time Machina...'_

"Machina! Don't move! I got this covered!"

Machina's green eyes widened to the size of small UFO's, as Cater turned on her heel and took aim at the top of his head.

The poor boy barely managed to duck as a bullet skimmed the top of his head, smashing the window behind him with a giant _'clash'_.

In all the commotion, Jack, Cinque, Queen, Rem and Deuce seemed to be the only ones aware of King's right eye twitching in annoyance... the latter diving under the table to the safe zone as Number Twelve stood up and summoned his twin guns.

Cater froze. Sice's giggling ceased and her face drained of color. Nine whipped out his camera and started recording the footage. Cinque gasped and dove behind Seven for cover... with Deuce and Machina's heads both poking out from underneath the table; the latter with a rather embarrassing wisp of smoke rising from atop his head, thanks to Cater's fine shooting.

Spotting the spider immediately, which had managed to traverse down the table to Ace's plate, King took aim.

Ace squeaked and clenched his eyes shut; praying to whatever higher being there was that they were watching over him right now. He was going to die because of a stupid bet with Machina and Jack.

He was going to die and it was Machina's fault.

He was going to be killed by his own classmate... and it was all going to be Machina's fault.

He was going to die because of that jackass _Machina_.

'_Bastard!'_

However, a blow never came.

Ace allowed one of his eyes to peek open, only to see King take a shot at the spider, shattering Ace's plate and knocking the spider out of the smashed window, well past the horizon... probably into a country that hadn't been discovered yet.

Everyone's jaws dropped.

"Holy -!"

King merely dismissed his guns with a sniff, dusting down his uniform before turning to face his classmates.

"Excuse me. I seem to have lost my appetite."

And with a curt nod, he strode out of the cafeteria as if nothing had happened.

"..."

The eerie silence remained between the flabbergasted members of Class Zero, the only sound being the _splat_ as a blob of mashed potato fell from the ceiling onto Nine's head.

Machina glanced awkwardly over at Jack, trying to avoid the numerous glares that were being sent in his direction.

"Jack..."

"Yes?"

Machina rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I don't think King is afraid of spiders..."

**xXx**

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter – am I the only one who can clearly picture Cater being the only girl in the group who's not scared of spiders? Poor Machina – how I torture him! At least Sice found the whole thing amusing xD.**

**Like before, don't be afraid to click the little button below this paragraph!**


	3. Ace and Deuce

After the whole dinner fiasco, the cafeteria was left more or less beyond repair.

In fact, it looked as if a small atomic bomb had dropped, or as Queen poetically put it: _'A spitting image of Nine's room.'_

Of course, Nine was thoroughly offended.

_Just __**when**__ had Queen been in his room?_

He would never sleep again.

As a result of the catastrophic events of what was supposed to be a leisurely evening meal, Class Zero received a beautifully pre-rehearsed lecture from Kurasame.

Ace heard it every day.

Much to the amusement of Cinque, the blond imitated Kurasame's facial expressions perfectly, miming their instructor's speech word for word.

Good thing Kurasame forgets to open his eyes when he gets into a real heart-felt monologue, huh?

Of course, King got off scot-free.

He always did_._

_Jerk._

As if the half hour lecture wasn't bad enough... things only got worse.

Class Zero were introduced to the most reputation damaging tools known to man, woman, teenager, infant, animal, insect, fish, vegetable, element and mineral.

The _mop_ and _bucket_.

Machina swore he had never seen so many glares in his _life_.

Worse still, the underclassmen were strictly forbidden to help the punished group in any way, shape or form – much to Seven's obvious disappointment.

"The nerve." She muttered as she squelched across the floor to re-soak her mop, "After everything I've done for the little twitches, they suddenly decide to play scared and pass up the perfect opportunity to repay me. That's the last time I **ever** present a speech for them…"

Hence forth, all the reputations that Class Zero had worked so hard to build shot down the toilet with a resounding **flush.**

... and Machina was in the doghouse.

"A spider? You thought _King_ would be scared of a _spider_?"

Machina was sulking. _Really_ sulking. As if his day hadn't already been bad enough!

The black haired boy slouched upon the couch in the library, arms crossed with a facial expression that could turn chocolate mousse sour as Ace reaped the rewards of his undignified failure... by rubbing said failure in his face.

"It was a perfectly valid suggestion - I'd like to see you do any better!" Machina snapped, looking at Ace as though he were something he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe.

Ace halted in his enraged pacing.

The room was silent for a while, save for the _'plip plop'_ of rain spattering against the window. Ace bit his lip in thought, before glancing over towards Deuce and Jack playing monopoly at the table.

The blond clicked his fingers as an idea hit him.

"Actually Machina, I think I can..."

Deuce did **not** like the look Ace was giving her.

Not one little bit.

**xXx**

"You want me to do **WHAT**?"

Apparently, Ace had a plan so cunning one could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel.

Khalia, being rather stingy with gil, hadn't granted the students with their own showers in their dorms. Instead, The Suzaku Peristylium had one shower room for each class - consisting of fourteen individual cubicles for Class Zero, complete with roman numerals on the doors.

Khalia may be stingy with gil, but a bit of class wasn't beyond the Director by any means.

Ace didn't particularly have a problem with it. The place was _heaven_ for pranks.

One time a few months ago, Ace recalled stealing Eight's pants while he showered (he knew it was Eight. Only Eight attempts singing opera in the shower), before flying them on the flagpole in the school's courtyard with a heroic salute.

Ahh yes. Those were the days. The look on the redhead's face had been **priceless**. Thank Agito for Seven's Polaroid camera.

The blond smiled, placing a hand on Deuce's shoulder.

"Deuce, Deuce, _Deuce_. Everyone screams when the water runs cold in the shower – it's like an instinct!"

Deuce sighed, fidgeting with her skirt.

"I don't know... what if King catches me? He's going to know it was me."

Ace smirked. "Already got it planned." He tapped his head with his index finger, "Think about it, would King really chase after you right away? I don't think he'll be running around the whole school in his birthday suit. By the he's semi-decent, you'll have long fled the scene..."

_'She doesn't need to know what'll happen when King __**eventually**__ get's out of there...'_

Deuce frowned in thought. It didn't sound **too** bad.

Ace smirked.

Deuce was frowning... meaning she was thinking about it. The little cogs in her brain were turning... which often meant co-operation was just around the corner.

After a couple of minutes' silence and fiddling with her mantle, Deuce nodded.

"Fine, I'll do it..."

_Bingo._

"Good girl!" Ace beamed with a squeeze of Deuce's shoulder, "King always has a shower around seven, right?"

Deuce nodded.

"Okay... here's what we're going to do..."

**xXx**

Machina was still brooding in the library.

Kurasame had got him to do cleaning, which was _below_ him.

His plan had failed.

Ace had rubbed it in his face.

Kurasame had made him do the cleaning.

He had been mocked by his fellow classmates

... and Kurasame had made him do the cleaning.

_He would pay..._

Machina's hand balled into a fist at the thought of his teacher.

_Kurasame __**will**__ pay..._

The boy's gaze flitted to the doorway as a smiling Jack strode in, two steaming mugs of tea in his hands.

"Still brooding?" he smirked, handing Machina one of the mugs.

"I do not _brood_ Jack." He replied sharply, taking a large gulp of tea and swallowing down hard as it burned his throat, "I **plan**."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Has your _planning_ been successful? I should hope so. You've been sat there for almost an hour, mate."

Machina remained silent for a moment, calmly sipping his tea before looking out the window towards the steadily setting sun.

A devious smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth as his attention returned to Jack.

"I think I can safely say it has."

Jack scoffed, drinking his tea to aid the swallowing of the cocky retort that was desperate to make itself heard.

_'Let's hope it's better than the last one...'_

**xXx**

Ace and Deuce met as planned outside Class Zero's shower room at 7pm on the dot.

Leaving Deuce stood at the other side of the hall, Ace sneaked his way towards the door, teeth grinding together as his shoes squeaked against the marble floor.

Much to the blonds' dismay, he could already hear the shower water running.

"Damn! He's early!" he cursed under his breath, squeaking his way back over to Deuce - who was already preparing herself for a quick getaway.

"He's in there already!"

Ace rubbed his hands together deviously; smirking as shining aqua eyes remained fixed upon the door. Number One was practically jumping up and down on the spot like a mad child as Deuce summoned her flute.

"Okay Deuce. You know what to do – Let him have it!" Ace whispered loudly, punching his fist in the air.

**xXx**

Kurasame sighed as the pleasantly warm water cascaded down his skin, eyes closing in pure relaxation.

He wasn't one for taking a shower so late in the day, but after the ridiculous events that took place during dinner... he thought he deserved to indulge in one of the very few comforts of his job. Damned students acted like children sometimes. Such despicable behavior... If they chose to act like children, they would be punished as such.

A smirk flitted across Kurasame's face at the thought of Class Zero cleaning up that bombsite in the cafeteria.

Nothing like a painful pride kicking to put your underlings in their place.

Kurasame recalled upon an occasion where he had been accused of taking advantage of his students.

_Guilty as charged._

Being their instructor was a lot of work, and didn't he know it... but it wasn't without its advantages...

**xXx**

Ace squeaked in excitement as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, his entire frame shaking with excitement.

This would be the first day of the rest of his life...

The day he would hear King scream like a schoolgirl **and** get his hands on 5,000 of Machina's gil – added bonus.

Deuce, on the other hand, had a job to do.

She closed her eyes in concentration, raised her flute to her lips and began to play a bouncy melody as her nimble fingers moved over the finger holes. Three seconds passed before a bright, silvery orb materialized from the instrument, floating slowly over towards the shower room before being swallowed by the marble wall…

**xXx**

Purely by coincidence and coincidence only... Kurasame had just turned up the heat in the shower.

The Icy Blade of Death liked his showers _steaming_ hot, which was why Class Zero couldn't usually shower until the evening – Kurasame _**always**_ used all the hot water.

He was their instructor. He was _allowed_ to use up all the hot water.

Anyone that questioned him or used up all the hot water _before_ him would be severely punished.

A frown etched itself upon Kurasame's face. The water seemed to be taking an extremely long time to heat up….

In fact, it seemed to be getting...

_'What the - ?'_

**xXx**

Ace counted down in his head, holding his hand to his ear in preparation for that beautiful scream.

_3..._

_2.._

_1._

**"ARGHHHHHHHH!"**

Ace's jaw defied all physical logic (rather like Sice's hair) and hit the floor, while Deuce's face paled several shades.

"..."

That scream was too deep... too sultry...

Too _**Kurasame**_.

_'...Wait.'_

Ace and Deuce exchanged fear factor glances as a door slammed inside the shower room, along with hissing, cursing ... and a sword protruding through the door.

"RUN!" Deuce cried.

Ace didn't need to be told twice; he and Deuce spun on their heels and bolted off down the corridor faster than you could say 'Sice and Seven sitting in a tree...'

Ace's quick thinking served him well, the blond diving behind a corner at the end of the hallway as the shower room door swung open with a blast of steam... impaling itself into the floorless white marble of the opposing wall.

Whether said steam came from the hot water or the raging Kurasame, Ace didn't know.

What he _did_ know, was that the sight that met his gleaming aqua eyes was the funniest thing he had **ever** seen.

A bar of soap was flung out of the door, smashing the window on the opposite side of the hallway. In turn, the poor blissfully unaware bird that was sat upon the window pane was knocked off its perch, barrel rolling off the roof and landing with a** splat** in the courtyard below.

Kurasame emerged from the shower room seconds later, skidding to a halt as he screamed blue murder at the brunette that was currently legging it for all she was worth down the hallway.

Oh how Ace hollered in the safety of his hiding place.

There stood Kurasame, Class Zero's prestigious instructor, in all his _prestige_... with only a towel wrapped around his waist to preserve his dignity.

He needn't have bothered.

Said dignity shot out the window the minute he started shaking the sponge in his hand at the fleeing Deuce like it was going out of fashion.

Better still, in his haste to catch the offending student... he had forgotten to wash all the white, poofy shampoo lather from his steel grey tresses.

The icing on the cake.

Ace wiped away a tear at the sight.

'_Oh, if only Sice could see this….'_

Ace knew Kurasame's anger levels like the cards in the pouch on his hip - primarily due to sitting next to the cause of said anger outbursts 99.9% of the time (a.k.a Nine.)

There was: miffed, angry, mad, furious... he hadn't made a category for this one yet.

Ace peeked around the corner, examining the evidence.

_Enraged flailing of the arms, cursing, screeching like a drunk chocobo, death threats, damage to surroundings..._

He was pretty sure this one had to be a bitch fit.

**"DEUCE!"**

Yup. Definitely bitch fit.

The school's foundation shook at Kurasame's voice, causing terrified students to drop their books and run to the nearest piece of furniture for cover.

No one in the other three countries noticed, but hundreds of flocks of birds scattered from their roosts at precisely the same time.

Inhabitants put it down to the weather before going about their daily business, completely oblivious to the wrath of the enigmatic teacher that was currently going apeshit in The Rubrum Peristylium Suzaku.

**xXx**

In the library, King lay sprawled out on a couch with a book in his lap. He was about to turn a page when he heard Kurasame's voice echoing throughout the school, screeching Number Two's name.

**"DEUCE! You little pest -!"**

The blond merely shook his head and flicked over the page.

He wasn't getting involved.

Kurasame was going about it all wronganyway.

'_Allowing such improper behavior without even punishing them __properly?'_

_'Shame...'_

**xXx**

Completely oblivious to the goings on in the rest of the school, Queen was on her way to her room; the single place in the Rubrum Peristylium Suzaku where she was safe from the insanity of her classmates.

The poor girl practically jumped out of her skin as she rounded a corner, a frantic Deuce almost running her clean over.

"What the - Deuce?"

"CAN'TTALKKURASAMEMAD!"

The Class President sighed. She was just about ready to leave this place...

... however she was **not **ready for the sight that met her eyes halfway down the adjacent hall.

Kurasame.

An enraged Kurasame.

An enraged Kurasame... with only a towel wrapped around his waist as he sprinted after the fleeing Deuce.

"..."

Queen stopped dead in her tracks, jaw dropping to the floor.

A swift hand slapped itself over her brown eyes - she swore they were _burning_.

Number Twelve abruptly turned on her heel, storming off in the opposite direction as fast as was humanly possible without breaking into a sprint.

_'I did NOT see that. I did __**NOT**__ see that...'_

**xXx**

Back in the library, Machina had already gotten started on plan B.

And much to Trey's annoyance, it involved_ him_.

"And just why should I help you, Machina?" Trey questioned dryly, uninterested in what he had to say, but curious nonetheless.

That one caught Machina off guard. To tell the truth, there was no reason. It was as non-existent as Cater's ability to keep quiet for more than five minutes.

Machina rarely compromised, or did anything for anyone else shouldn't it be in his best interests. If he wasn't getting anything out of it, it wasn't worth it; anyone with common sense knew that.

... obviously no one in Class Zero.

In his opinion, the others didn't have half a brain cell to split between them. Living with such prime examples of stupidity was wretched. Being **led** by the prime example of stupidity was even worse.

Machina's mind often strayed to that magical land of what might have been, what _could_ be if _he_ were a figure of authority within Class Zero.

Unlike Kurasame's throne of pointless twiddle, Machina would sit upon an extravagantthrone worthy of a king.

Complete with cushions.

Machina didn't care what anyone said. Those chairs in the classroom were _hell _for one's rear end. The fact that Kurasame droned on for longer than necessary only made matters even _worse_.

Just how Kurasame expected them to fight and work damn miracles with pain searing up their backsides was anyone's guess.

Meanwhile, Jack's green eyes had clapped onto the apparently zoned-out Machina.

The black haired boy would sometimes sit there with a facial expression that looked like he was plotting someone's death... or a rebellion. The blond couldn't put his finger on which…

**BAM**

Machina abruptly awoke from his daydreaming stupor as a bird hit the library window, slowly sliding down towards the floor with a screeching noise that strongly resembled nails scraping down a chalkboard.

Even Trey glanced up from his current read at the sound.

Jack chuckled, glancing out the window.

"It's raining birds?"

Machina and Trey didn't have time to respond before Cater practically rammed the door down, Magic Gun at the ready – it's mistress aiming it in all directions.

"Guys! I just heard a -!"

Machina jabbed a thumb in the direction of the twitching bird outside the window.

Cater frowned, before disappearing and re-appearing outside the window, seemingly unfazed by the torrential rain.

Cocking her head, the redhead poked the bird in the head with her foot a couple of times, before giving the trio the OK sign with her hands.

"It's not the spider guys! We're **all clear**!"

Jack couldn't hold back a giggle at his comrades deadpan expression. Machina himself fought the urge to slap his forehead; he did _not _need to be reminded of that damned spider incident.

No... he had Ace for that.

"Oh how wonderful Cater, I'll sleep so much more _comfortably_ in that knowledge..." Machina responded with a sickly sweet smile and a tone that positively dripped with sarcasm.

With an honorable salute, Number Four bounced from the room like an unsung heroine.

Machina ground his teeth at Cater's immaturity before turning his attention back to the stubborn Trey.

He had a devious plan.

"So Trey... I've been thinking..."

Trey snorted in mock amusement. "_You_? _Thinking_? Heaven forbid."

Machina bit his tongue to hold back the sharp retort which nearly slipped out. He did not like this whole business of compromise.

"I happen to have a proposition for you... What would you say if I were to complete the mission to Concordia you were recently assigned?"

Trey shot Machina a skeptical look. "Authority is not given to you to make such decisions, Machina."

Machina smirked. "On the contrary..." he began, circling the blonds' chair like a hawk would its prey, "Last week I happened to save Kurasame's beloved Tonberry from a rather unsightly demise involving one of Mutsuki's bombs...he owes me a favor of my choosing."

Trey couldn't deny he was highly interested. As much as he despised the petty rivalry between Machina and Ace, the possibility of being able to evade a potentially hazardous and exhausting mission was too good to pass up.

Machina paused in his circling, bending down so that he was eye to eye with Trey. "Tick. Tock."

Number Three sighed in defeat. He could pull rank on Machina if things didn't go according to plan anyway.

"What is it that you require of me, Machina?"

**xXx**

**Phew - this one exceeded the other two in length a little bit...oops!**

**Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! To be specific, I would like to grant a heartfelt virtual cuddle to **_**Aria94, Eeqooeeoos, Quinn Ferox, Oblivion Star Seeker, Saranghayo and Jackthehonchkrow**_** – you guys all rock! I especially loved hearing about how **_**Aria94**_** found the first chapter highly amusing, thus causing everyone on her bus to adopt a O_O expression. As always, **_**please please**_** leave a review – I love receiving them! Oh, and I wish you all a safe, healthy and happy New Year!**

**Oh, and if you're wondering how little Deuce managed to turn the water cold, one of her musical projectiles burst the hot water pipe. Cunning little thing, non? Poor Kurasame xD.**

**3 Class Zero! 3**


	4. Machina, Trey and Jack

Unlike Trey, who spent the vast majority of his spare time in the library, Queen spent much of her cherished spare time in her dorm: her own safe haven from her classmates and their childish antics.

What Kurasame saw in them, she didn't know.

As such, visits from other members were of an extreme rarity... save for one.

A timid knock on the door caused Queen to jump somewhat, but she was able to regain her composure before opening the door to reveal a rather flustered looking Deuce, yanking what appeared to be a soaking wet towel from around her head.

She wasn't sure, but she swore she could hear Number Two muttering angrily; something along the lines of: "stupid Kurasame" and "ruining my hair".

"Deuce?" Queen sighed, rubbing her temple.

Deuce usually got sent to Queen after she had gotten herself into some sort of trouble, which was usually rooted to Jack, who was the definition of the word.

Apparently, the Class President was one of the members Kurasame had elected as a suitable role model for Deuce.

Queen made a mental note to remind Kurasame that she _wasn't_ a babysitter.

"What is it _this_ time?" Queen questioned with a rather exasperated sigh. She was tiring of these unnecessary interruptions, especially when she had homework to complete.

Deuce suddenly seemed to find the floor very interesting, shuffling her feet with both hands clasped behind her back. Queen quirked a brow at the obvious sympathy cry. Deuce had the uncanny ability to pull off the 'kicked puppy' look; eyes doubling in size and bottom lip poking out to form a small pout – it was adorable.

All she needed was a violin playing sorrow-filled music in the background and she'd be ready to conquer the world. Although, in all fairness, her flute was close enough.

Alas, Queen was a logical, no nonsense student; completely immune to the adorable pouting of Number Two that was currently interrupting her essay on the political history of Suzaku and Concordia.

Deuce inhaled deeply - a sign that this was going to be a _long_ story.

Queen cringed.

_'Best make myself comfortable...'_

"Well -"

**xXx**

Purely by his experience in the art of persuasion, Machina had managed to coax Trey out of the library (Machina's speed + the confiscation of Trey's book + an angry, _slower_ Trey = Successful coaxing. Pure genius on Machina's part of course) and onto the observatory balcony, where they had a clear view of the library balcony - where King still lay flat out on the couch.

_The lazy sod._

Trey rubbed his arms a little at the cold. He didn't seem to remember it being _this_ cold. Then again, he was within close proximity of King. The temperature always seemed to drop below freezing when Number Thirteen was in the vicinity.

A hand on his shoulder practically made Trey jump out of his clothes.

"Okay Trey. I need you to change the colour of the Suzaku Crystal for me."

Number Three's eyes widened somewhat, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"_What?"_

Machina sighed, rolling his eyes. "You heard me!" He gave the blond a light shove towards the edge of the balcony, ushering him away with a 'shoo' motioning of the hands as though Trey were some sort of animal, "Change its colour."

Trey shot a skeptical glance towards Jack, who shrugged in response.

Machina had finally lost it it seemed.

"You want me to change the _colour_ of the Suzaku Crystal?"

Marluxia nodded. "Everyone knows King worships that stupid hunk of rock - if anything happens to it, he's bound to tear his hair out..."

Trey really didn't understand the whole point of this silly little bet Machina, Jack, Ace and Deuce had going. It was utterly ridiculous, not to mention a waste of valuable time. However, he had made a bargain with Machina that would be very worth his while, and he **never** went back on his word.

Number Three glanced towards the Crystal, sat majestically in its shrine opposite the Class Zero dormitories, then down at the slumbering King.

Considering they were stood on the balcony of the observatory, they were quite safe. If push came to shove, he could always accidentally-on-purpose shove Machina off the balcony to suffer the worst of King's wrath. If his calculations were correct (which they _always_ were), that would grant him with enough time to escape before King got the chance to catch a glimpse of him with his animalistic radar vision.

Clicking his fingers into joint like an experienced pianist, Trey concentrated.

"What colour?"

Machina frowned, cocking his head in thought, "Oh I don't know... " he began in a tone that said otherwise, "...try purple."

_Didn't see that one coming..._

Trey prevented himself from rolling his eyes at Machina's predictable color choice as he cast the spell, the crystal steadily turning bright purple before their eyes.

Machina's green eyes sparkled in sheer delight, hands clapping together as he eagerly awaited King's reaction.

Unfortunately, said delight wasn't going to last long...

"_Purple_? Ha! Why don't you encircle it in a floral array and skip around it while you're at it Machina?" Jack spat in disgust, "Make it blue! A _man's _color."

On command, Trey changed the crystal's color to blue.

Machina forced a smile upon his features. "Trey." He stammered through gritted teeth, "Make it purple."

Again, the crystal turned purple.

"No Trey! _I can pay you more_! Make it blue!" Jack retorted, shooting a smirk at his comrade.

Machina ground his molars in frustration. "Trey! Make. It. _Purple_!"

"_Blue_!"

**xXx**

Kurasame flung himself back into the soft leather chair in the safety of his office with a sigh.

After having punished Deuce accordingly for ruining his delightful shower (a whole weeks extra homework), the Icy Blade of Death needed some time alone in the confines of his own office.

Kurasame rubbed his temples slightly, before picking up his mug of coffee. He knew exactly what would make him feel better...

Swinging around in his chair with a smirk, Kurasame glanced down like a proud father towards the beautiful Suzaku Crystal…

... which wasn't looking quite so beautiful at the moment.

Kurasame's jaw dropped so far, that were there trains in The Peristylium Suzaku, one could have easily mistaken the gaping hole for a tunnel.

The Suzaku Crystal was changing color like some sort of _hideous_ disco ball. It was like something Square Enix forgot to draw - it was the stuff of Kurasame's _nightmares_.

Surely he was seeing things. Surely. _Wasn't_ he?

For the first time in his life, Kurasame was lost for words.

"..."

The Icy Blade of Death's office would've been completely silent, were it not for the tinkling of the scalding hot coffee pouring itself all over the floor... and Kurasame's lap.

Class Zero's instructor suddenly regained the ability of speech as quickly as he'd lost it, a pain-filled scream echoing throughout the upper floors of the Rubrum Peristylium Suzaku as the steaming beverage scalded the tender skin of his thighs.

**xXx**

Meanwhile, in Arecia's office, Ace was eagerly filling Sice in with all the juicy gossip following the shower incident with Kurasame.

"Oh boy, it was the _funniest_ thing I've _ever_ seen," the blond snickered as they browsed Arecia's numerous book shelves for the volumes that contained the information they would need for the mission Kurasame had assigned them earlier that day, "You should have been there – I know you'd have loved it even more than I did."

Before Sice got the chance to respond, an enraged scream seemed to shake the walls of the school, a few books falling from their places on the bookshelves as a result.

Number Six immediately shot Ace an accusing look, to which the blond held up his hands in defense.

"Not me. I have nothing to do with this one."

Sice wasn't convinced, but she wouldn't push the matter.

"You have to admit though..." Ace began, smiling slightly, "If Kurasame keeps squealing like that, he's going to end up sounding like Cinque... I mean _really_."

_**"I HEARD THAT YOU JACKASS!"**_

"Uh oh..."

**xXx**

"... Yeah. So I got busted."

Queen's face was void of all expression. In fact, it looked like she'd thrown an all nighter.

A _rough_ all nighter.

It was a well known fact that Kurasame didn't know when to shut up, but Deuce came an _extremely_ close second.

Apparently, Kurasame had set Deuce additional homework as a punishment... again. Something about Deuce interrupting his shower – that one she wasn't too sure of. Number Two babbled too fast for Queen to fully comprehend what she was saying anyway.

The Class President sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She swore she could feel a migraine creeping up on her - it was to be expected daily when her intelligence was forced to reside with buffoons.

"Deuce... did it never occur to you to use a teleportation device to escape Kurasame's wrath?"

Deuce didn't respond, her jaw hanging agape as she stared through Queen at the ceiling behind her.

Oblivious to the Class President, Eight was upside down on the ceiling of her room, humming the Mission Impossible theme as he crawled towards the two girls like an experienced member of the FBI.

The redhead held a finger to his lips, signaling Deuce to keep quiet about his presence while he grinned like the cat that ate the canary.

It was no secret that Eight took great delight in irritating Queen; supposedly something that had originated since the day they'd both arrived at the Peristylium.

Old habits die hard.

"Deuce, are you listening to me?" Queen snapped, narrowing her eyes at the brunette.

"..."

Eight had now lowered himself so that he was hanging upside down, mere feet behind Queen's head. Shooting Deuce a smile and a wink, he started to blow a **huge** bubble with the gum he was chewing.

'_Since when does Eight chew gum?'_

Deuce didn't know. More importantly, just wherehad Eight got it from?

Kurasame had forbidden any sort of sugary delicacy in Class Zero, _especially_ from Deuce.

Apparently, high sugar intake on Deuce's part was worse than a drunk Cinque and a depressed Seven fused together. In addition, Kurasame might add, Queen was the sole member of Class Zero that knew anything about dental issues.

_Everyone_ knows sugary treats aren't good for one's teeth, and when you're a younger student that annoys the living daylights out of said member with dental expertise, going to her with dental problems isn't the smartest idea.

To Queen, justice was by far sweeter than any sugary delicacy.

**"DEUCE!"**

Deuce shook her head, almost jumping off the chair she was sat upon.

"Uhh, yeah that's great Queen..."

Number Twelve snarled at the sheercheek of the younger girl.

"You know what your problem is Deuce?"

Eight's gum bubble was now approximately the size of Queen's head... and was growing by the second.

Deuce bit her lower lip to stifle the giggles that were desperate to make themselves heard - which lead to Queen becoming even more enraged.

The image of the Class President's normally stoic, cold face reddening with anger; plus the giant pink bubble behind her head was enough to send even Trey into hysterics.

"You have no resp-!"

**BANG**

Had Deuce not been in the same room as Queen, she would've sworn that the scream that followed the loud explosion of Eight's gum bubble was that of an old lady. Deuce didn't think it possible for a teenager's voice to reach such a high pitch.

That's Queen for you. Defying the laws of science since the dawn of Oriense.

**xXx**

"PURPLE!"

"BLUE!"

"PURPLE!"

"I'M OF A HIGHER RANK THAN YOU!"

Trey had had _**enough**_. Listening to Machina and Jack squabbling like small children made Kurasame's lectures sound like music to the ears.

"Why don't you choose a color that's neither purple nor blue? Like green?" he reasoned, the two arguing males pausing in their conflict to shoot disgusted glares Trey's way at his intrusion.

"That's not the _point_!" Machina hissed, leaning over the balcony,_ "Why_ isn't King doing anything?"

Almost on cue, King rolled over - and Machina virtually fell off the balcony, were it not for Jack tugging him back to safety by his mantle.

Apparently, Machina Kunagiri wasn't all that valiant when enraged.

"He's **asleep**?"

Jack peered over Machina's shoulder, all past arguments forgotten as bright green eyes clapped onto Number Thirteen- who was curled up in the comfort of the leather couch, purring like a small kitten.

**"Buggeration."**

Machina growled, fisting his hands through his hair. He couldn't believe it! Of all the times King could choose to take a nap. King _didn't _nap.

Hell, King didn't _sleep._

_**'HOW DARE HE!'**_

Truth was, King did sleep.

Of course he did.

Sleeping is a necessity for all life forms – including Kings, Jacks, Rems, Caters, Cinques, Sices and even (although not always) Queens.

Number Thirteen just chose his sleeping periods carefully. Sleeping means that the one concerned is vulnerable.

King never appeared vulnerable for anybody_._ _He_ made _others_ feel vulnerable just by _looking_ at them - and he wanted to keep it that way.

**xXx**

A small smile tugged at the corners of King's mouth as he dreamed...

_Kurasame had left Class Zero in his charge. Apparently he had some urgent business to take care of. _

_Quite frankly, King didn't care. _

_Fact was, __**he **__was__** in charge**__._

_How he'd waited for the day._

The smirk on the sleeping King's mouth increased tenfold as his sweet dreams were filled with loud screams, his fellow classmates begging for mercy as they were taught a lesson they would never forget...

**xXx**

The smile on King's face did it for Machina.

He was lying there, sprawled out on the couch _smiling_ in his sleep while _he, _Machina Kunagiri, was breaking his back trying to get the temperamental git to scream.

He had 5,000 gil sitting heavily on this bet and he was **not** going to lose it to that smart mouthed, cocky little Ace.

**"AUGH!"**

Anger completely overtaking logical thinking, Machina grabbed the closest heavy object - which happened to be Trey's book... and lobbed it at King in an Olympic style shot.

Apparently, Machina severely underestimated his own strength and accuracy.

The black haired boy's mouth suffered a drought of epic proportions as the flying book collided with King's head - a dead hit.

"..."

**WHAM**

King shot up in shock, falling from the comfort of his couch to the cold, hard floor.

Pain shot through the blond's head as he sat upright... to find one of Trey's volumes in his lap.

_'What the...?'_

**xXx**

"MACHINA!" Trey squealed, biting the tips of his fingers, "OF ALL THE FOOLISH-!"

"HE WAS ASLEEP! I have 5,000 gil riding on that fool and I'm -"

"Well I hate to break it to you, but he isn't now mates..."

The trio glanced down at King, whose brown eyes were scanning the room for the offenders that _dared_ to awake him from his peaceful slumber.

Well, to King, violent dreams involving a killing spree where one can bludgeon his classmates to death _defines_ peaceful. Number Thirteen's world would be a _far _more relaxing place were it not for the thirteen others that constantly made his life a living Hell.

Trey abruptly turned on his heel, only to be grabbed by Machina's iron grip.

"Not so fast. We have a deal. He hasn't screamed yet."

Trey shrugged off his classmate's arm with utter scorn, "You may like risking your life for petty gambling needs Machina, but I for one am not getting myself involved any further."

The smirk that spread across Machina's face was downright unsightly.

"Ahh but Trey..." he began in a sickly sweet tone, "Isn't that _your_ book in King's hands, hmmm?"

Number Three swallowed thickly.

"Seems like you're already up to your neck in it, wouldn't you agree?"

_'Damn you Machina. Damn you to Hell.'_

**xXx**

King's brown eyes flitted around the room, avidly seeking out their prey.

_'How dare they. How __**dare**__ they.' _

Everyone knows how annoying it is.

The alarm clock waking you from a glorious dream... just as you're getting to the good part. Replace that alarm clock with a _heavy _book... or the world's largest, most boring Magical Theory textbook to the head.

Not amusing in the slightest.

Not. At. All.

Number Thirteen's gaze finally fixed upon the trio stood gaping at him from atop the balcony of the observatory.

_Busted._

Jack and Trey seemed to be the swift thinkers of the operation, the pair falling over their own feet in their haste to escape with all their internal organs.

Machina on the other hand, took a few moments longer.

His feet didn't seem to want to move. Machina Kunagiri's image strongly resembled that of a deer caught in headlights as green eyes fixed upon brown slits.

It was at that moment, Machina decided King wasn't angry after all.

He was _pissed._

He swore his classmate was _growling _at him.

Shooting the blond a quick smile and a wave of the finger wiggling variety, Machina turned on his heel and sprinted off with his tail between his legs, hauling ass for all he was worth out of the observatory and into the hallway.

**xXx**

King could feel the familiar sheer power pulsing through his veins, his blood nearing boiling point as Machina's head of black hair bobbed its way out of sight.

Someone was going to die a _very_ painful death.

A very _slow _painful death.

Hacking off of limbs, castration... the works.

King was going to make his dreams a reality. Machina was a worthy counterpart to practice his bludgeoning techniques on... second only to Jack.

An enraged roar echoed throughout the entire school as King charged from his room, guns in hand. Oh Trey, Jack and that damned Machina had gotten themselves a sustainable head start alright - but that didn't bother King. He knew exactly where they were. He wasn't a member of Class Zero for no reason.

**xXx**

"Jack..." Trey panted as he ran for his life, Number Eleven alongside, "How far behind is King?"

The younger blond chanced a glance behind him, quickly wishing he hadn't as a screaming Machina sprinted between and past the duo in a flurry of red and black, a roaring King sliding around the corner at the end of the hallway seconds later.

"OUTOFMYWAYYOUIDIOTS!"

An alternate hallway leading to the library caught Trey's attention. He'd _finally_ be able to ditch these two fools.

There was more chance of King pursuing Machina. Trey _**could**_ pull rank on King anyway if things didn't go according to plan... though an _enraged_ King was decidedly more difficult to reason with.

Unfortunately for the fleeing trio, a sprinting Eight skidded around the corner at the crossroads... a flailing, cursing Queen seconds behind him.

Apparently, Queen was pretty damn fast when she wanted to be.

"GUYS RUN ICE QUEEN'S GOT HER PANTIES IN A TWIST AND-"

**BAM**

The collision was inevitable.

Machina crashed into Eight, the pair falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

Seconds later, Trey fell over his floored classmates, Jack completing the Class Zero pile with a scream.

If only he'd been watching where he was going...

Beautifully synchronized screams were music to King's as he pounced on his prey, throwing punches here, there and everywhere.

An added bonus to the situation was permission to maul Eight - courtesy of Queen.

King didn't want to disobey orders from the Class President; he was going to make the best of a bad situation.

His head throbbed with pain after his rude awakening... but that was nothing compared to the searing aches and pains that Machina and numbers Three, Eight and Eleven and would feel the following day.

It was time for King to put his dreams into practice. Sure, the picnic was short of an Ace sandwich, but there was nothing like saving the best until last...

Victory was all the more sweet after the thrill of the chase... no-one knew that more than King.

Thus, Machina, Trey and Jack learned the _true_ meaning of let sleeping dogs lie…

**xXx**

**So so so so so sorry for the delay! It's been what….seven months? *cringes* School's just completely blown me away this year – approximately five essays a week were being bestowed upon me by my lovely lecturers…I had to bid sleep goodbye for a while *sobs***

**I've had this chapter on my laptop for ages, but failed to notice as it got shouldered right to the bottom of all my documents, crushed beneath obese business essays and ugly biology presentations; poor thing! Love it and leave a review! Sorry again for my snail-esque behavior, forgive me? *dodges flying chair***

**On the bright side, next chapter will be up ASAP! I'm already half way through it!**


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